Breaking cycle of servant maids

Cycle of Servant Maids
Ananya Ramanathan, High School Junior, Newtown, PA
December 2018

The Besant Theosophical High School is in Besant Nagar, Chennai. The school provides free K to 12 education for under privileged and typically children from the fisherman community.

I volunteered at the school in the summer of 2016 as part of my TNF internship program. During the time I spent there, I got the opportunity to bond with kids of different ages. They treated me like one of their friends and had no problem welcoming me into their lives. I grew very close to so many of these children that they began to tell me about their wishes to come to America and visit me. Their comments really made me think about their current financial situation and their futures. I wanted to help them in any way I could.

The girls told me that many of them are likely to become servant maids like their moms. Although there are many facilities missing at this school, the Correspondent of the school emphasized the critical need for providing vocational skills for the girls to “break the cycle of servant maids.” Since most students cannot afford higher education, providing them with tailoring skills will be useful especially for the girls, who otherwise end up unemployed or become servant maids. This skill will give them a chance to become more financially independent and the potential to continue learning as they grow up.

My plan is raise $4,000 to purchase the needed sewing and embroidery machines and enable the girls to acquire this vocational skill before they graduate from high school. Please join me in breaking the cycle of servant maids!

Your tax deductible donations can be made at: https://tnfusa.org/donate (choose under projects “Breaking the Cycle of Servant Maids”)

The inauguration of Tailoring Training Unit at Besant Theosophical School, Besant Nagar was held at 11.00 am at Besant Theosophical Higher Secondary School, Besant Nagar. One of the NRI student Miss. Ananya Ramanathan, born and studying 10th grade in the USA did her TNF Summer Internship at Besant Theosophical Higher Secondary School for two weeks in July 2016. After the Internship, she went back to the USA and raised funds from her relatives and friends to set up a Tailoring training unit at Besant School. A sum of 8000 US dollar was collected by her and sent through Tamil Nadu Foundation USA. That money was sent to Tamil Nadu utilized for the establishment of this Tailoring Unit.

Dr. Somalay Somasundaram, President TNF USA and Thiru. S. Rajarethinam I.A.S (Retd) Chairman, TNF participated in this event and appreciated the interest shown by the young girl from the USA.

Besides the grandparents of Ananya, Mr.Krishnamurthi, Mrs. Vijiyalakshmi Krishnamurthi and Mrs. Swarnam also participated in the event and felicitated the students.

TNF TN Chapter purchased 8 sewing machines and two embroidery machines to the School which will be utilized by the willing children. Dr. Somalay Somasundarm, President TNF USA recalled the days he studied in the School in the 1970s and received the blessings of Madam Rukmani Arundale who have established the School. He foresees that USA NRI students will carry the activities of TNF in the future for which the Internship program is the Foundation.

Mr.S.Rajarethinam IAS ( Retd.)Chairman, TNF TN Chapter felicitated the students. He advised the students to learn the art well and see that it provides the source of income for the downtrodden families.

The correspondent Mr.Venkatesh mentioned in his speech that the School assigned one room for tailoring unit and employed a Tailoring teacher to teach the art to the students. He further requested assistance from TNF for improved drinking water facility. Nearly 850 students are studying in the School. The girl student studying from 6th 12th classes will be taught Tailoring training during their craft classes. Most of the student are the first-generation learners and their parents are working as Auto drivers, a servant maid, and coolie work. The girl students those who are unable to continue their higher education will utilize the training for their livelihood in the future.

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Ananya’s Plan

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Tamil Nadu Foundation is a nonprofit foundation created in 1974 by a group of Americans of Tamil origin who wanted to help people from their native province of Tamil Nadu in India.